Oar and rowlock connection.



No. 662,227. I Patented Nov. 20,!900. A. H. ELDREDGE.

OAR AND RBWLOCKCONNECTION.

Application filed Sept. 6, 1900.,

(No Model.)

Harman STATES PATENT Orricn.

ALBERT HENRY ELDREDGE, OF WVARE, MASSACHUSETTS.-

OAR AND ROWLOCK CONNECTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 662,227, dated November20,- 1900.

Application filed September 6, 1900. Serial No. 29,161. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it. known that I, ALBERT HENRY EL- DREDGE, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing at Tare, in the county of Hampshire andState of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in()ar and Rowlock Connections, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to oar'and rowlock connections for row-boats, theobject being to provide devices of this character of improvedconstruction, simple and convenient of manipulation, and less expensivethan many heretofore known; and the invention consists in the peculiarconstruction of the part attached to the oar and the part constitutingthe sole connection between the oar and the boat, all as hereinafterfully described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this speci lication, Figure 1 is aperspective view showing a part of a boat on which the oar is hung foruse, a portion of an oar, and rowlock connections between said oar andboat part constructed according to my invention. Fig.2 is a sideelevation of a part of an oar, showing the rowlock-engaging platethereon and a rear side elevation of the rowlock-stud in engagementtherewith. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation showing a portion of saidboat part and the rowlock-s'tud socket therein, a semicircularcross-sectional part of an oar, a crosssection of the stud-engagingplate thereon, and a side elevation of said rowlock-stud in operativeengagement with said plate and boat part.

Referring to the drawings, 5 indicates a section of the gunwale of aboat to which the rowlocks or their connections are usually applied, and4 indicates the socket of a rowlockstud, which socket has thesurface-plate 6 secured in said section 5 by screws through said plate,as shown. The said rowlock-stud 2 has its lower end entering said socket4 and is supported vertically therein and free for the reciprocatingrotary movements which are due to its connection with the oar 8, asbelow described, when the oar is in use. Said stud 2 is provided with ahead 10, having a flat side, from which projects a short arm 12 at aright angle to the axis of the stud and to the said flat side of thehead 10 thereof. On the extremity of said stud-arm 12 is the oar-lockingbar 3, having a position more or less inclined in a direction across theaxis of the stud, as shown, for a purpose hereinbelow set forth. Anoar-plate 7 of the general conformation shown in the several figures ofthe drawings, having a projecting hollow boss thereon, in which is aslot 9, is secured on the side of the oar 8. Between the inner face ofsaid bar 3 and the said face of the head 10 is a space somewhat widerthan the thickness of the face of said circular boss of the oarplate 7,in which face is a slot 9, having a conformation which adapts it topermit the said bar 3 to pass through it into the interior of saidoar-plate 7 to the positions indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, whereby the oarbecomes so connected to said stud 2 and through the latter to the boatto which the devices may be attached, that all of the requisite rowingmotions of the oar may be made with perfect ease while connected to theboat, as stated. The borders of the central portion of said slot 9 arecircular and constitute the bearing-surfaces for the oar on the part ofsaid arm 12 between said bar and the stud 2. The said inclined positionof the oar-locking bar 3 relative to the axis of said stud 2 providesfor properly locking the oar to the latler when the parts are in thepositions they generally occu py during the action of rowing,

as shown substantially in Figs. 2 and 3, the dotted-line position ofsaid bar 3 in Fig. 2 indicating the relative positions substantially ofsaid bar and the slot 9 while the oar is in use, of course varyingslightly with the vertical movements of the oar.

When the oar is connected with or disconnected from the stud 2, it isturned to the angle of incline substantially as shown in Fig. 1, andbeing then swung to about the position of Fig. 3 it is ready for use.

The rowlock-stud 2 is shown in 3 set in a common socketaon the boat part5; but it is preferable that an ordinary interlocking stud and socket beused, whereby the unintentional lifting of thestud from the socket wouldbe avoided.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. An car and rowlock construction comprising a roWlock-stud forengagement with a suitable supporting-socket on a boat, and free toreciprocally rotate in said socket with the swinging movements of ancar, an oarsupporting arm extending from the side of said stud, a bar onsaid arm beyond the side of said stud extending in an inclined directionacross the axis of said stud, combined with a plate forming a connectionbetween said stud and an ear having a hollow boss thereon and an openingin the face of said boss through which said bar may pass and the bordersof which opening provide bearings whereby said boss may oscillate onsaid arm, and said bar may meanwhile engage the inner wall of said boss,thereby operatively connecting the oar to said stud, substantially asdescribed. 2. The rowlock-stud 2 having the arm 12 and the oar-engagingbar 3 fixed on the extremity of said arm in a position inclined acrossthe axis of said stud, combined with the oar-plate 7 having a hollowboss thereon, and an opening therein through which said bar and arm maypass, whereby said bar may engage the inner wall of said boss, and anoar attached to said plate having a free swinging connection with saidstud, substantially as described.

ALBERT HENRY ELDREDGE. Witnesses:

H. A.-CHAPIN, K. I. CLEMoNs.

